Since 2005, only one team has been successful in its quest for the Region 2 softball championship. Union City hopes to do a little something about that Monday.

Three-time defending Region 2 champion Cambridge Springs will host the Bears Monday in a battle for this year’s title and an automatic berth in the District 10 Class A playoffs.

Cambridge Springs and Union City both enter the game at 16-1. The Spa’s lone loss came to Conneaut Valley on April 29. Union City’s only hiccup came against the Spa 13 days earlier.

“Our postseason goal was to still be in this position this week,” said UC coach Jerry VanZandt. “We’re pleased we have a chance. We met our first goal, now our next goal is to find a way to come out on top of this game.”

One way, of course, is to find a way to solve Cambridge Springs ace Stephanie Baer, who is pitching probably her best season ever. And that is one area the Bears spent plenty of time preparing.

“We’re trying to do a couple things,” VanZandt said. “We know she can hit her spots. We’re trying to be better hitters who can hit an inside or outside pitch.

“(Baer’s) a smart enough pitcher that if she sees a certain pitch as our weakness, we’re going to get a steady diet of that pitch. So we’re trying to be prepared for all of them.

“We kind of broke it down and worked on different pitches every night.”

Limited Unin did an outstanding job silencing the Bears in the first outing, which Cambridge Spring won 8-2. She limited UC, which entered the game on a tear offensively, with just five hits — two of which came off the bat of Lori Beth Nunemaker, including a home run.

Baer walked no one and struck out 10.

“ She’s just so talented,” VanZandt said. “We know we have our work cut out.”

While Union City had trouble getting its offense going in the first meeting, it was the opposite for Cambridge Springs. The Spa gathered 13 hits. First baseman Ashley Petrick led the way with three hits, including a two-run home run.

“I believe when we played that game, they were better than us,” VanZandt said. “But another goal we had after that game was to get better and close the gap at the end of the season. We do believe we closed the gap a little.

“We’ve been staying late in practice, putting some Saturdays in. We’re doing a little bit extra to close the game and I think we’re getting there.”

A Cambridge Springs win would give the Blue Devils their fourth straight conference title and eighth since 1997. Union City does know a little something about ending one of the Spa’s streaks, though.